Fire on The Rails

Track Dogs have been barnstorming the UK with some major festival appearances and collaborations. It has been a pivotal year including playing to a heaving, rocking Trafalgar Square and surprise on-stage participation of Show of Hands’ Steve Knightley and Seth Lakeman at Shrewsbury Folk Festival. Well-established in Spain where they are based, they are surprising UK music lovers with “Sun-shiny songs thriving on dark themes behind irresistible rhythms.”

The four international “madrileños” (Garrett Wall, Dave Mooney, Howard Brown & Robbie K. Jones) whose artistic names derives from the dark subterranean world of New York's subway system, present Fire On The Rails, a kicking album that grows on the work that has opened so many doors for the band.

Fire on the Rails is Track Dogs’ second LP recorded on the Studer A80 analog tape machine recovered from Abbey Road at Playground Studio in Madrid. Since Kansas City Out Groove (2018) and their compilation of ukulele-based recordings, Uke Songs By Track Dogs (2019), the band has deepened and elaborated its sound explored. Producer Germán Gutiérrez has managed to make Track Dogs pack even more punch and achieve grandeur in the sound that they’ve been cultivating over more than 100 songs in their recording career.

As on their last album (Kansas City Out Groove), Track Dogs turned to Nashville talent to up the game on their compositions. Eli Bishop (Grand Ole Opry, Wynton Marsalis) provides string arrangements for “Love And War”, “On The Last Night” and “Abi’s Lullaby”. In line with the Nashville connection, Americana star, Ashley Campbell lends her pristine banjo picking to “Don’t Delay”. Track Dogs have extended the reach of their established sound to the realm of world music with “Love And War”. Apart from the strings of Eli Bishop and a cracking doumbek, the album’s lead track pulls together folk legends Phil Beer of Show of Hands, grammy-winning Lisa Gutkin of the Klezmatics and Fergal Scahill of We Banjo 3to elevate the call for unity and tolerance that “Love And War” shouts for. Danny Erker (The Jones St. Boys) also adds some stellar mandolin to the track "Dragonfly's Castle".

Track Dogs show off the group’s strength and growth in that lead vocals, mostly Garrett Wall, are also shared out by trumpeter Howard Brown in “And The Piano Sings” - a tribute to Freddy Mercury - and percussionist Robbie K. Jones in “I’ve Needed You” and “Dragonfly’s Castle”.

Reviews:
“Some of the most addictive folk melodies of the decade.”

“A wholesome and electrifying act, Track Dogs change the face of music with their vibrant and invigorating songs to produce an album that is the best way to start 2020.”

“The upbeat melodies that Track Dogs bring to life in this album is a fresh and beautiful take on the world”
Joe Knipe, Atree.co.uk

“Fire on The Rails sparks kinetic energy, just as the title promises, reeling out ten high-octane tracks with slick production and a sizzling pulse.”

***** Bryony Hegarty, R2 Magazine

“Fire On The Rails bounces between the poles of pop and folk with trumpets and strings aplenty...this music, indeed, goes “forward in all directions”.”

Bill Golembeski, Folking.com

“Track Dogs' infectious fusion of folk and Americana is captured at its inventive best here as this multi-national quartet deliver life enhancing ditties...”
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